The Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture was established on the basis of the Departments of Ukrainian Language (until February 1, 2016 – Ukrainian Language and Applied Linguistics) and the Department of Ukrainian Philology and Culture. Stories of the two departments are closely intertwined: the latter is a subsidiary of the Ukrainian language department, separated from it in May 1995 to teach the Ukrainian language, as well as subjects of Ukrainian studies and cultural studies to students of Donetsk National University.

With its origins and history, the Department of Ukrainian Language and Culture is fully connected with the establishment and development of Donetsk (Stalin) Pedagogical Institute, later Donetsk State University, since 2001 – Donetsk National University, and since October 2016 – Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University.